On our second day in Germany, I hopped on one of the SAS
tours last minute and decided to spend the day in Berlin. It was a long 3-hour
bus ride from Warnemunde but I dozed off for a while and woke to the picturesque
images of the Germany countryside (filled with windmills!). I listened to some
tunes on my Ipod and starred out the window. We passed by beautiful stretches
of greenery (lots of livestock) and some small lakes and rivers. The beauty
really took me by surprise because I had never heard much about the German
countryside. Our tour guide, Robin, was really a nice guy and he gave us tons
of tips about Rostock and Berlin (he lives in the former). He gave us his
perspective on modern Russian students, the proper pronunciation of Berlin
(BER-lin), his urban life and daily meals, etc. He even came around and showed
us all a map of Berlin to get us oriented with our itinerary for the day. 
Our first stop in the city was the Brandenburg gate, an 18th
century neoclassical archway that is the only remaining town gate in the city.
On top of the gate is a large quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses. Thomas
gave us its history and then we walked through it to see the various flags
flying on the embassies on the other side. While learning about the gate, Robin
told me that the news station tower behind the gate resembled the Seattle space
needle and we got to talking about it since I lived in Seattle for so long. It
was nice to get to know a local German because I could ask about everyday
traditions and rituals. Do you or any of
your friends wish to move to the US or do you prefer Germany? (Germany, but
would like to visit the US someday)What
are your hopes for Germany in the future? (That our national narrative
moves on from WWII) How do Germans view
Americans? (Very fat). Robin said he hardly ever discussed the war,
although he had heard tons of stories from his grandparents, and clearly noted
that he was very very proud to be a German. I could see the value he placed on Germany
and I began to respect this country’s ability to raise such strong and proud individuals.
Our next stop, just around the corner from Brandenburg Gate,
was the iconic Memorial to the Murdered Jews of the Holocaust. Rows and rows of
grey concrete slabs (2711 in total) covered an entire city block; they were of
various heights and in the middle, the ground sank so low that one would
disappear into it. Built in 2004, the memorial was a stark reminder of 6
million Jewish lives lost in the war and I was mesmerized by the audacity and
simplicity of it. The design of the slabs is supposed to produce a maze-like
effect where visitors feel confused and disoriented, much like the experience
of living through the Holocaust’s very strict system of rules that had
essentially lost any sense of logic. The memorial is very controversial because
many Jewish leaders believe it to be unnecessary while some Germans believe it
is just a stark reminder of German shame. At the memorial, I was completely
stunned by the number of people (Semester at Sea ones included) that used the
stone slabs as seats or stepping-stones. What?
We got back on the bus and traveled through the city a bit
to Museum Island – a literal island filled with museums! We passed by the
iconic Reichstag Building, Checkpoint Charlie (the most famous crossing
checkpoint between East and West Berlin), Remnants of the Berlin Wall, and
Berlin Cathedral. Our destination was the Pergamon museum, which houses three original-size
replicas reconstructed indoors: the Ishtar Gate, the Market Gate of Miletus and
the Pergamon Alter. The Ishtar Gate, one of many in Babylon, was constructed in
575BC and excavated in Turkey in the 20th century. The brilliant
blue tiles and the sheer height of the gate were really impressive – how did they get this thing here and manage
to reconstruct it? The Market Gate, a two-story structure made of marble,
was built in the 2nd century AD. The walls of this gate have been
partially reconstructed with modern materials, since an earthquake had
destroyed much of it in the 10th century. Finally, the most iconic
of all reconstructions, is the Pergamon alter, dating back to the 2nd
century BC in Asia minor. The face of
the structure (which as been displayed on the walls of the museum) depicts
Telephus, the founder of the city of Pergamon, and some early battle scenes.
Man, what a massive and impressive structure! Katie and I sat on the steps of
the alter for a good 15 minutes snapping photos of the figures and discussing
its sheer size. I was literally inside history at this moment, incredible! The
alter is set to go under construction at the end of Sept for the next 5-10
years, so it was very lucky that we got to see it!
The Pergamon also houses a really nice collection of Islamic
art on the upper floors and we were able to see intricate wall art, door
carvings, elaborate rugs, and paintings. Following our tour of the Pergamon, we
headed to the city center to enjoy some free time. Katie and I bought postcards
(with the help of Robin the tour guide translator) and some small gifts before deciding
to travel up the Kollhoff Building and ride the fastest elevator in Europe – 24
floors in 20 seconds! The views, as you might imagine, were stunning. At the
top, a red bear (surprise!) and one remnant of the Berlin wall greeted us. We
also saw the Jewish Holocaust monument (which looked very flat from that height)
and the very modern Sony center. Then, Katie and I headed down to see more of
the Berlin Wall. I was very shocked to see that tourists, and locals alike, had
placed hundreds of wads of chewed gum all over the wall. What are you people thinking??
I stood on the side
of history once again at the Berlin wall, this time touching it and feeling
both the strength and fragility of it simultaneously. As we drove back to
Warnemunde in the evening, I starred at the falling rain and began to slice
Germany into parts. The old Germany (the one from school books generally) was
restrictive, oppressive and ashamed but the new one stood up tall, smiled at
visitors and looked ahead to revisionary pursuits. The new one was tempering
the voices of the old and setting off on a hopeful path. The word that comes to
mind for Germany is Progressive. I will definitely return. Danke.
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